Soar Through Storms
by Daidairo
Summary: AU.Physical storms crash around, emotional storms crash over... To soar through them, everyone has to be supported by their loved ones... To stop a war, to bring peace, to find love..all of which are important. Will they make it? KiraLacus, AthrunCagalli
1. Just the Beginning

**_Soar Through Storms_**

Physical storms crash around, emotional storms crash over... To soar through them, everyone has to be supported by their loved ones... But will they make it?

This is an AU, written mainly based on Gundam SEED alone, with certain other stuff from Destiny. Set in medieval times, this substitutes MS and Gundams with swords and spears, with a magic popping up somewhere along the storyline. Kira/Lacus and Athrun/Cagalli are confirmed. Random other pairings might appear; it's up to you to suggest it in a review if you want it

The terms like 'Silver Moon' and 'Blue Moon' simply represent certain terms that the characters use to sort their time. For example, our January, February and so on.

Disclaimer: Gundam SEED does not belong to me, and I claim no credit for it. Should you want to sue someone, sue my teacher. Then I can have more time to write.

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Chapter 1: Just the Beginning

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Kira could not believe his eyes.

He read and reread the letter in his fingers, and as the truth fully sank into his mind, the young man groaned. His lips moved slowly as he quietly muttered the last sentence.

_'I will be arriving on the first morning of Silver Moon."_

The first day of Silver Moon.

Wasn't that today!

Kira crushed the piece of paper and stuffed it into his pocket, bursting out of his room as he did so. His feet thudded lightly on stone as he ran down the stairs and dashed through Castle Zaft. His worries increased as the faint sun through a side window showed that it was already noon.

Kira Yamato Attha, aged sixteen, was the nephew of King Eldorth Attha. The king of Orb had sent him to Zaft two years ago to start his squire training, as well as a goodwill action towards Zaft for trusting them with a prince of Orb. Kira hadn't minded, but his twin sister, Cagalli Yula Attha, had. From young, they had trained together as pages in Orb, because to teach one twin was to teach the other. When Cagalli had heard that Kira was to go to Orb and become a squire, yet she was to stay behind in Orb to study, she had raged and thrown one of her famous tempers. Kira didn't want to be separated from Cagalli either, but the king's word was final. He had bid her and their father goodbye two years ago, and it seemed like a long time would pass before he would see either of them again.

Apparently, that was not to be.

A letter had arrived for Kira five days ago, but because he was already late for morning training, the boy had hurriedly thrown it into a cabinet and ran off for training. Now, he sincerely regretted not opening the letter earlier; had he done so, he could have written back in time to stop the foolish act that was happening today.

_"Kira,_

It's been some time since our last letter, hasn't it? I suppose it's mostly my fault; I've been extremely busy lately. It's Uncle Eldorth's fault, of course. Couple of days ago, he pointed his stupid finger at me and ordered me to leave the palace.

'My dear _niece, you've been all alone in this castle for so long, I fear you must be bored and lonely. I'm sorry not to have thought about you earlier, but country matters were really pressing. So I've made arrangements for you to go to St. Margaret's Convent, where you will be taught how to be a true maiden. You leave on the 29th day of Blue Moon.'_

Oh indeed. He just can't wait to get rid of me. I yelled at him, of course, and Father argued as well, but did the prat care? No. No matter how many times I protested and said that I don't want to be a lady, he just wouldn't listen. 'A princess should learn to act like a princess', he says, 'not run around playing at swords with the pages.' I do NOT play with pages, I spar with squires!

Still, I couldn't change his mind. Today, he handed me the letter he wrote to the First Lady of the convent. I tore up the letter and made my plans.

I wrote a letter to your Duke Amarfi, saying that Cagalli is to further his squire training at Zaft. I signed it in Father's name, then made my preparations and pretended to be leaving for the convent. So you'll be seeing me soon!

I know that as a girl, I'm not supposed to be a page. But don't worry, no one will find out. Many mistake me for a male anyway, so I'm pretty safe. I've always wanted to fight on the battlefield, and I know you'll understand.

Don't tell Father, though; he'll have a heart attack. Wish me good luck!

_I will be arriving on the first morning of Silver Moon._

Your sister, Cagalli.  
From now on, I'm your twin brother Cagalli."

Kira threw open the wooden door in front of him with a bang, and entered the meeting room panting slightly. Three others occupied the room.

_I'm too late._

One was Duke Amarfi, a cousin of King Zaft's and a knight of high calibre. He was in charge of the well-being of pages and squires of Castle Zaft, and was feared yet admired by many for being a strict, disciplined but fair leader. Sitting down behind a polished wooden table with his fingers clasped, he was the very picture of a regal lord. The squire that stood behind his chair was his son Nicol, a friendly and peaceloving young man who gave Kira a nice but puzzled look as he entered so noisily.

The last was a familiar young blond dressed in a brown travelling cloak and thick boots that clumped on the ground. It had been two years, and she had changed slightly, but this was Cagalli. Her eyes lit up as she saw her brother for the first time in two years, before she shot Kira a glare that clearly meant _'You're late'_. Then she turned back to eye Duke Amarfi uncertainly.

"Squire Kira. Looks like he's telling the truth," Duke Amarfi stated. While Kira stared in confusion, Cagalli spoke up.

"I said Kira would vouch for my identity. He'll tell you that I'm his twin brother, the other son of Uzumi Attha," she said convincingly.

"Um, yes... Yes, that's it, Your Grace," Kira had no idea what else to say. What was he supposed to say? All of a sudden, Cagalli was here in Castle Zaft, demanding to be a squire.

If he told the truth, Duke Amarfi would doubtless report her for her cunning deception, and King Patrick would doubtless show no mercy at all.

For now, he had to play Cagalli's game.

"Very well. I see no reason to doubt you any longer," Duke Amarfi smiled. "Squire Cagalli, welcome to Castle Zaft. Be ever true to the path of goodness, protect always your neighbour, honour always your king."

He held out his hand. Cagalli took the hand without thinking, and shook it. Duke Amarfi raised an eyebrow, and Nicol emitted a muffled giggle. Kira hurriedly raised his own hand to his mouth, and Cagalli caught sight of his anxious face.

Blushing with embarrassment, Cagalli raised her other hand to the duke's, then bent and kissed it timidly. 

"Manners is a part of our Code of Chivalry, Squire Cagalli. Remember that too. Now, you may leave with your brother. Doubtless he will want to show you around the place for now, and you may make use of today to learn how to get around. Squire Kira, I leave the newcomer in your hands, until afternoon training, from which you may not be excused."

Both Atthas bowed low. Then Kira grabbed Cagalli's hand and pulled her out of the room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Cagalli hugged her brother.

"Kira! I made it! I made it! He didn't guess that I..."

"Shhhh!" Kira looked around, and thankfully saw no one else. "Listen, Cagalli. This is stupid. There's no point in trying to do this. You don't have to learn how to be a squire; it's really not necessary. Squire training is much tougher and harder than the page training you've taken. And if you make too many mistakes, they send you back to redo page duties. And you shouldn't have lied to Father and Uncle Eldorth. And..."

"Kira! You fret too much," Cagalli interrupted with a grin. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I did watch the other squires back at Orb. I'm not totally useless." Her face turned serious. "You'll support me, won't you?"

Kira sighed. The letters that came previously were full of gloom, complaining about how bored she was, how evil King Eldorth was, and how no one would allow her to go through certain squire training programs. The twins had never been allowed to mix with others of their own age, being royalty, and while Kira had found many friends in squires at Zaft, Cagalli had been suffering at home alone.

Somehow, he had to understand her. Her eyes were filled with excitement, joy and eager anticipation at what was to come. Finally, she was to have the freedom she always wanted. There was no danger, for no squire was needed on a battlefield that did not exist, and it would do Cagalli no harm to train in a peaceful country when war did not exist.

"All right." Kira replied, with a small smile. With a whoop, Cagalli hugged her brother.

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"You're excused from it today, but I'm expected to turn up for afternoon training, so I can't accompany you back," Kira apologised. "Are you sure you can find your way back to the page's wing?"

"I'll be fine," Cagalli replied more confidently than she felt. In truth, she hadn't realised that the palace would be so humongous. Kira had taken her for lunch, then showed her around certain important parts of the castle, saying that the whole castle would take three days to explore.

The page's wing would be where Cagalli would stay, until she was chosen by a knight to be his personal squire. Cagalli was looking forward to that; it meant she would even have a chance to learn from a knightmaster, as well as go onto the battlefield to fight for peace.

Civil wars and violent disagreements happened from time to time, and Cagalli had always admired the knights that set the problems straight. That was the main reason she wanted to become a knight; though the thrill of fighting was an added plus. Others had called her a bloodthirsty child while they laughed at her, but she was willing to bear with it. A knight upholds the Code of Chivalry at all times; being disagreeable was not a good option.

Her dreams vanished momentarily as Cagalli found herself in a totally unfamiliar long corridor. Light shone from windows situated near the ceiling, and the corridor stretched for quite a distance. The only other thing is sight was...

A door! Marked with a green knob! What was it that Kira had said?

A green knob _always_ leads to the outside."

She reached out and turned the green knob. Pushing the wooden door open, Cagalli found herself emerging from a side door.

Outside the palace, a layer of snow covered the earth, courtesy of Silver Moon weather. Leaves were drooping, roofs were groaning after heavy snow, and slushy puddles laid around where snow had melted temporarily. Apart from the green of evergreen plants, and the crimson tunics of the pages and squires, the place was white and grey, with light tints of blue in the snow where the sunlight touched.

Looking upwards, Cagalli scanned the tops of the towers around until she found a grey flag with an egg on it, attached to a single tower near the west. The egg was chosen for the pages' symbol, Kira had explained, because an egg had mysterious stuff inside it that no one knows about, and might be destined for great things after training to its full ability.

Closing the side door behind her, Cagalli kept her eyes on the flag and began walking towards it. So intent was she on not losing her way that she turned a corner of another tower without thinking or looking directly in front of her, and crashed into someone coming around the same corner.

Startled, Cagalli leapt back. The victim of her carelessness had been knocked to the ground, and he glared up at Cagalli with irritation in his cold blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, are you all..."

"Stupid kid!" came the reply. He was dressed in a red tunic and white belt like Kira, and his hair was as white as the snow he sat in.

"I said I'm sorry," Cagalli felt rather annoyed herself. Rude jerk.

The squire picked himself up and glared down at Cagallim using the advantage of height. Then he eyed Cagalli from top to toe.

"What's a lowly peasant like you doing in the palace?" he sneered. "After fame and fortune? You won't get either."

Cagalli felt really annoyed. "For your information, I'm here to be a squire."

"A likely story! Intruders must be turned over to the head guards at once! Why, you're too young even for a page!"

"It's better than being an old man like you!" Cagalli retorted, snorting at white hair.

"Wha... It's natural!" the squire yelled. "Unlike yours, it's clean!"

"Too bad your mouth isn't," Cagalli snapped at once.

Before she could react, the squire slipped to her back and pushed her into the snow, holding her firmly down in a kneeling position. He removed the white belt around his waist and bound Cagalli's wrists behind her. Cagalli struggled hard, but the older boy was stronger. Thinking fast, she swung her head up and backwards, knocking her assaulter on the forehead with the back of her own.

The squire screamed, pulling back. He raised a fist. Cagalli braced herself for the impact.

"Yzak!"

The blow did not land. Turning, Cagalli saw another squire standing beside Yzak and holding his wrist back. Two more squires stood behind them, looking puzzled.

"It's time for afternoon training. What are you doing?" the one holding Yzak's wrist asked. Cagalli stared at him. He had dark blue hair, emerald green eyes and an expression that was both commanding yet slightly informal at the same time.

"Found a trespasser," Yzak snapped, pulling his arm away. He looked down at Cagalli in scorn. "But you're right. I shouldn't be wasting my time with the likes of him."

Yzak waved a skinny, pale young page over.

"Take him to Duke Amarfi, and look sharp about it," he ordered. Then he turned and stalked off. The two other squires that had stood watching interestedly followed.

"Come on, Athrun, let's go!" the one with curly green hair called after his back. The blue haired squire waved him on, then dismissed the page with a light shove on the back and a quiet command. The boy scuttled off thankfully.

Cagalli stared at the remaining squire balefully, still trying to scrape her hands out of the white belt. Athrun, he was called. He stared back at her with stern eyes from which very small hints of curiousity escaped. It was disconcerting to be under such intense scrutiny, and Cagalli squirmed slightly. Also, he looked pretty good with that expression.

No! What on earth was she thinking? She was still tied up and in the snow.

"You look terrible," Athrun said suddenly.

Anger kicked in anew.

"You don't have to rub it in," Cagalli snapped in a tone similar to Yzak's. She tugged hard at the belt again. "So what if I look pathetic?"

Athrun knelt down beside her. "That's not what I meant. I was asking after your well-being. Yzak's too rough for you, after all." He patted her head as if she were a child.

Was he being concerned, or was he poking at her for losing to Yzak? Without taking time to understand the look on Athrun's face, Cagalli moved out from under his hand, then leaned forward and bit down. Hard.

"Arrghhhhhh!" Athrun pulled back, wrenching his hand from between Cagalli's teeth. "Wha-what do you think you're doing!"

His eyes held disbelief and exasperation. Cagalli simply glared back at him. Shaking his hand, which now held red marks, and looking at very fierce eyes, Athrun sighed.

Then quietly, he laughed.

Cagalli felt unnerved. "What's so funny? I don't..."

"Athrun!" Cagalli turned at the voice, and saw Kira run towards them. "Training just started! What are you... doing... here..."

He broke off as he saw Cagalli, _still_ in the wet snow. Athrun pulled Yzak's knots off with several quick twists.

"Cagalli?"

"You know him?" Athrun asked, surprised. "Yzak thought he was a trespasser that snuck into the palace."

"Cagalli's my brother," Kira smiled at Athrun's face. "He's here to be a squire." His eyes looked troubled as he helped Cagalli to her feet. "Did Yzak to that to him?"

"Don't blame him, he was being careful," Athrun said. Cagalli stared at him in annoyance. Covering up for the old man like that! And Kira was being nice to him too.

"He was being disrespectful," Cagalli pointed out. "And so are you."

Throwing back her head, she stalked off towards the page's tower. Utterly bewildered, Kira nodded at Athrun and ran after his sister.

"Cagalli! Wait!"

"Do all squires act like that?" Cagalli demanded softly. "Rude, arrogant, and think they can look down on others?"

"Athrun's not like that," Kira stared at his sister strangely as they walked. It wasn't like Cagalli to get so worked up, even with her temper.

"As if. He was staring at me as if I were beneath his position, when he's just another squire anyway!"

"Actually, he _is_ above you in position," Kira said truthfully. "He's the crown prince."

Blood drained from Cagalli's face.

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The dining hall was only a third filled. Squires, pages and servants sat around in their own groups, talking and eating. Cagalli hovered uncertainly at the large red doors until she spotted Kira waving at her from a table with three other squires.

Walking over, she sat down shyly as Kira gave introductions.

"This is my s... brother, Cagalli. S-He's come to join us as a squire. Cagalli, these are Sothe, Terrence and Kenneth."

All three were dressed in the red squire uniform. Sothe had curly blond hair and an easygoing look. Terrence's eyes were hidden by a pair of green crystal shades, the seeing aid made by some mage. Kenneth was dark skinned, and his blue hair was parted neatly to the side.

Blue hair shifted Cagalli's attention to thoughts of that Athrun, and she made a note to avoid him as much as possible.

"Nice to meet you," Sothe was saying cordially. Cagalli nodded back. 

"You'll find the work here tough, but don't worry, it'll be fun," Terrence said, grinning. He put a plate of bread down in front of her. "Best wishes for finding a good knightmaster!"

These squires were _nice_. Things started looking up. As long as she stayed with Kira and his friends, she would enjoy herself as a squire.

No matter what Yzak said about her abilities.

She finished her tea as quickly as the others, then listened as Terrence suggested a snowball fight outside. Immediately, strategies entered her mind, and as she spoke, Kira left the table and made for another.

Waving his closest friend at Castle Zaft over, Kira greeted Athrun with a soft smack on the shoulder.

"Sorry about just now," he apologised. "Cagalli's very temperamental sometimes. He told me what happened, and I've already explained to him that it was a misunderstanding"

Athrun smiled. He wondered if Cagalli had told Kira about the hand-biting.

"No problem. It kind of surprised me that your brother is here, though. You didn't mention it at all."

So Kira related the forgotten letter sheepishly.

"I guess I'm kind of worried, because I won't be able to run around him that much... The king's sending for me more often nowadays," Kira rubbed the back of his head and sighed.

Athrun understood what he meant. Having been King Patrick's squire for four years, he knew that the king was one who would keep having his squire do miscellaneous chores and jobs. Thankfully, he was due for his knighting soon, and was let off being King Patrick's squire.

"I had thought of picking you for a squire at first, at least for a year," Athrun said. "But you were chosen quickly. Now I have no idea who to pick."

"Your other friends would jump at the chance, wouldn't they?"

"Nicol's serving his father already, Dearka's serving Lord Miguel, and Yzak would rather cut his own throat than serve me as squire," Athrun said with a laugh.

"It isn't really necessary to have a squire for now, is it? Not a sign of battle or war exists anywhere around, after all. Zaft's really peaceful right now."

"Having a squire is more custom than anything else," Athrun agreed. His eyes darkened suddenly. "And I'm not so sure if things will remain peaceful for long..."

Kira stared at him with puzzled violet eyes. "Athrun...?"

"Kira!"

Both squires turned. Cagalli had risen and was running towards them, waving at her brother.

"We're going out to play in the..." Cagalli slowed to a stop as she saw Athrun.

"I don't think you guys have been formally introduced yet. Athrun, this is my brother, Cagalli Attha. Cagalli, this is Athrun Zala, Prince Zaft," Kira said, ferverently hoping that Cagalli would not start being childish again.

Cagalli 's voice was steady as she spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Athrun."

Athrun watched her, bemused. He had been expecting a hasty apology for her behaviour as she addressed him by 'Highness' or something of the sort. Evidently, she wasn't one to take position into consideration. Interesting person. Extending a hand, he smiled.

"Same to you, Cagalli."

Cagalli hesitated. Much to Athrun's surprise, she took his hand between hers, then bent and kissed it.

This time it was Athrun's turn to blush, and he stared in bewilderment at her behaviour.

Cagalli was also flushing as she dropped his hand. _It wasn't so weird with Duke Amarfi!  
_  
Kira was dumbfounded. Both he and Athrun simply stared at Cagalli as if she had grown an extra head.

"What...? I was... minding my manners..." Cagalli stammered. Athrun continued staring in confusion. He was just another squire. Why was Cagalli treating him like either an elder or a knight?

Kira burst into laughter. "Cagalli! Duke Amarfi meant... he meant... Ahahahahahahah!"

Between chuckles, Kira managed explain to Athrun what had happened that morning, and inform Cagalli that to fellow squires and pages who had not achieved anything to be proud of, a handshake would suffice. Cagalli stomped on Kira's foot, blaming him for not warning her earlier.

It was rare to see Kira laugh aloud, even though he smiled often. Athrun suddenly realised that Cagalli's presence could certainly prove to be very interesting. He smiled to himself, causing one of Cagalli's eyebrows to go up, wondering exactly what he was thinking about.  
_  
Weird people._

The three squires went out to join Terrence, Sothe and Kenneth for a snowball fight. Near the end of Blue Moon, snowflakes had begun to drift from the clouds, and a layer of white blanketed the castle grounds. It wasn't extremely thick, but thick enough for a game, so Kira, Cagalli and Terrence formed up on one side behind a horse trench, while Athrun, Kenneth and Sothe knelt behind a large evergreen bush.

"Time limit is 30 minutes. Whoever is entirely soaked through will be taken from the match. Whichever team gets all members booted off first loses," Kenneth announced. "Let's have 5 minutes to build up ammo."

Hence a pile of snowballs appeared steadily on each team. At Terrence's call, Athrun and Sothe began pelting the other team with snowballs, while Kenneth laid low and built up the pile of snowballs.

Evidently, Kira had decided on the same strategy, for Cagalli was lying behind the trench while Kira and Terrence pelted snowballs relentlessly. As Athrun ducked to dodge a flying snowball, he wondered how Kira had gotten Cagalli to back off rather than attack. Cagalli had probably wanted to be an attacker after all.

_And since when did you know him so well?_

Distraction cost Athrun a wet shoulder.

Snowball fights were childish games. Nonetheless, the squires enjoyed watching each other squirm when wetted, and soon their soaked tunics were dripping with melted snow. Sothe and Terrence had been wetted through, and been sent off to grab blankets before they caught a cold. It wasn't long before Kira and Athrun were both shivering, with Cagalli and Kenneth slightly wetted by flying snowballs that had landed on them from above.

Laughing, Kira raised his hand and called for a truce. "We have to go for dinner soon, and had better get dry before that."

"Okay," Kenneth agreed, squeezing out the front of his red tunic. They began heading towards the side doors.

"If there wasn't dinner we definitely would have won," Cagalli taunted, poking Kenneth on the shoulder. "I'm dryer than you, you know."

Kenneth grinned, then bent down and quickly rolled a snowball with his gloveless fingers. Shivering, he handed the snowball gingerly to Athrun. The latter grinned as Cagalli and Kira continued walking, passing by a pine tree with straight branches.

Snow had collected on the leaves.

Athrun pulled back his arm and threw hard, knocking the branches into swaying. The snow pile fell.

Right onto Kira and Cagalli.

Laughing hard, Athrun and Kenneth entered the palace.

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"We wait on the nobles in turn every night with the pages, unless a knightmaster has chosen you, and then you serve only him and his table," Kira explained, handing Cagalli a plate of stew. "I'm waiting on the royals' table, but Duke Amarfi said that you could work at the mages' one for today, since it's situated near the royals. Then I can show you the ropes."

Cagalli nodded, her mouth dry. If she spilled stew on someone's lap, she might even get sent home. Trembling, she moved out of the corridor and into the dining hall as unobtrusively as possible.

Most of the mages present wore brown, black or dark blue cloaks that covered their bodies from shoulder to foot, with circlets on their heads and pointed hats beneath their chairs. They were conversing quietly in either one language or the other among themselves, and often used magic as if it was a natural ability. Cagalli was already trembling when she put the stew down, but the sudden rearrangement of a plate of fish without the consumer touching it startled her, and the table shook as she jumped. All the mages turned to look at her.

Flushing in embarrassment, she retreated hastily back to the corridor, waiting for the kitchens to send up the next course. Kira soon joined her, smiling comfortingly.

When Cagalli had gone in and out of the dining hall several times, she felt at ease enough to look around her. Quite a few nobles were present at court for dinner, though they seemed to have disappeared during the day. Cagalli eyed the royals' table from the corner of her eye.

King Patrick Zala looked every inch the commanding king that he was. Thick, alarming eyebrows loomed over his calm and collected eyes, excreting an air of majesty. The members on the royal table were silent unlike the others. Four dukes sat next to him, and three duchesses were arranged between and on either side of the others.

And there was Athrun. Strangely enough, he wasn't serving like Kira and three others. He sat next to the king and dined with the other royals. Cagalli felt crossly that it was unfair. Just because he was the prince didn't mean he shouldn't do work like the rest of the squires.

Finally stopping her observations, she carried a turkey dish over to the mages and set it down. The mages hardly batted an eyelid, paying no attention to her at all. Turning to leave, she heard a phrase that made her prick up her ears in attention.

"... will truly be a disaster."

"Yes, indeed. We must watch out. Does King Patrick realise that trouble might come about?"

_Disaster? Trouble?_

"Everytime I mention it, he just says that he knows what he's doing. That's what the king is like, after all. Keeping all the plans to himself until the last minute."

"But the stormstones. They're due to be awakened anytime now."

"King Orb will probably be making his move soon."

Cagalli froze again. _Uncle Eldorth?_

"King Patrick has expected that. We'll manage somehow. How is Duchess Rena's curse-fever?"

_What were they talking about! _Cagalli fretted and worried as she hid in the corridor a few moments later. _Kira... I have to tell Kira!_

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That concludes the first chapter. Yes, it was boring, but that's just the beginning and the introduction. It'll get better later, I promise!

Although I have planned out the whole story, it is possible that this isn't a very good idea. So if I get very little notice on this story, I might discontinue this after a few chapters. Probably not, since I pretty much like the storyline I drew up.

Review please!

Daidairo

20th August 2006


	2. Court Trials Begin

**_Soar Through Storms_**

Physical storms crash around, emotional storms crash over... To soar through them, everyone has to be supported by their loved ones... But will they make it?

Note: For the reason that long stories seem to bore people (coughs at certain reader), even though this will be one of my big projects, it will not be as lengthy as my _Creature Changers_ (currently 22 chapters long). I will not turn it into a 5 chapter thing either, though... In any case, this will be more novel like because of that, rather than drawing out every single day like _Creature Changers_ tends to do. This is especially noticeable in this chapter.

Also, because I'm banned from the computer and can only use for a limited amount of time when I sneak on, I decided not to do individual reviews for this like I did for the others. No offence meant, but I think the time would be better spent writing; I think you readers agree? (Besides, I tend to get very long winded on review replies.)

Note: The name Cagalli doesn't sound very feminine actually, especially for those who speak Japanese and pronounce it Kagari. In fact, the idea for this came when a friend of mine said Cagalli sounded male.

Special thanks to all reviewers: Genny-chan, fantasy corns, Ultimate Coordinator Berserker, Celle666, Es, Kageharu Kaco, Pony and cocoapuffaddict. I hope you continue to support this fic!

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Chapter 2: Court Trials Begin

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Over the noise of the other squires as they washed up, Cagalli told Kira what she had overheard at the mages' table.

"It sounded really serious," Cagalli insisted, rinsing the plate she was holding. Kira frowned thoughtfully.

"If the mages were serious, then it must be something big. They talked about Uncle Eldorth?"

"Yes. Do you think Orb and Zaft will go to war?"

Kira placed the last pile of utensils in a side cupboard and waved to the group of pages exiting the kitchen.

"We haven't had a war for many years. Don't worry, Cagalli, things will be fine. Now, are you coming with me for ettiquette lessons?"

Inside, Kira was worrying about what he had just been told. He knew that King Patrick was getting edgy, and was making certain preparations that Kira recognised were for war. But the king had not explained his actions at all, and not a courtier dared to disagree.

_They won't go to war without a valid reason, _Kira told himself sternly as he entered the cleared dining room with Cagalli for ettiquette training with Duke Rinase. _So stop worrying._

But even watching Cagalli and other pages get reprimanded for bowing in the wrong manner at the wrong angle could not distract Kira from his thoughts. Bits and pieces of the mages' conversation that Cagalli had related kept flooding Kira's mind.

_Stormstones...?_

It was a very long and exhausting night.

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Stones were forgotten as the Court Trials approached. All pages had to pass tests before they were named a squire, and though Cagalli was already 16, she had not taken the test in Zaft previously, so Duke Amarfi insisted that she take it immediately. Zaft squire work was different from Orb's, and Cagalli had quite a bit to learn about Zaft's type.

Custom said that the Heir should be knighted on his 17th year, rather than his 18th. So Kira's time was either spent on his own training, with the king, helping Cagalli get ready for her trial, or sparring with Athrun to ready him for knighthood.

"Sorry for taking up your time, but Nicol's is spent on his music, while Dearka and Yzak are already complaining about how unfair it is that I have the chance of being knighted before them. None of the others are any good," Athrun had said once.

With so many other things on his mind, Kira stopped worrying about the stormstones and focused instead on the tasks at hand. After all, neither the mages nor the king had said anything about an upcoming war, and it seemed like things were peaceful again. Besides, there wasn't much energy left to do any worrying.

Squire Trial Day was bright and sunny. As usual, a whole crowd had turned up to watch the pages run through all that they had learned. Pages from other castles in Zaft had also turned up early in the morning, all eager to pass their tests and become a squire, and came with squires who intended to take the knight trials, as well as nobles who did not stay at court. So Castle Zaft was unusually crowded on the third day of White Moon.

Cagalli's trial ended after a day of jousting, sparring, riding, bowing and singing. Kira was relieved that all she received were minor cuts, bruises and a certificate of squirehood.

So celebrations were held for the new squires that night in a common room, while knights-to-be continued fretting about their own upcoming trials.

"Who do you think did well in this year's squire trials?" Terrence asked, munching on a ripe red apple. He leaned back on a cushion and grinned at eight new pages-turned-squires. These were the ones who had been trained at Castle Zaft.

"I think they all did well," Kira said, offering them a bowl of grapes. "Congratulations to all of you for passing."

"You're too nice," Yzak scoffed. He ran a critical eye over the new squires. "Malven was terrible. SO was Raoul. George, you might be able to do something yet, if you can correct your sword stance, and Lance, you had better learn to hold a lance properly."

The squires wilted under harsh criticism, looking extremely harrassed, and though Kira knew that Yzak was right, he felt sorry for the them.

"George was good," Nicol said, looking up from his new composition suddenly. The blond squire smiled back enthusiastically. "I think others who were good include Shawn and Cagalli."

Shawn, one of the new squires who had an extremely high opinion of himself, smiled charmingly at Nicol and spoke. "I know the Prince is taking his knight trial this time. Do you reckon he'd pick any of us?"

If Athrun were there instead of with King Patrick, he probably would have answered. As it was, Yzak snorted.

"Athrun would never choose one of you _babies_ for a squire."

"And he'd pick _you_?" Shawn shot back. Instantly, many of the others knew there would be trouble. No one had ever picked Yzak for a squire.

"Yzak prefers to work on his own, you see. That's why Athrun won't pick him for a squire," Nicol tried to soothe the two by being pleasant. But Dearka was siding with Yzak.

"Listen hard, _page_," he hissed with dislike at Shawn, "If Athrun's picking a squire, the available candidates are Yzak, Sothe, Lawrence and Cagalli. _You're_ most definitely not suitable."

Kira hated disagreements, and he stared from the angry face of Shawn to the furious expressions of Yzak and Dearka, feeling deflated. _This was supposed to be a celebration!  
_  
Apparently, Kenneth felt the same. He went to the grey piano in the room and thumped out a loud celebrative march, drowning the voices of the quarrelsome ones. Nicol understood what he was doing, and went over to 'correct his mistakes', when in actual fact he created a soft murmur of voices. It was the lead for quiet chatter to break out among the others again, breaking the tension in the room. Yzak and Dearka left the room.

"Is it just me, or are they a really unpleasant lot?" Cagalli noted. Kira shook his head.

"They're not bad. Just critical, and a trifle hasty," he said. "But deep down, they're good hearted, not to mention skilled. So don't _you_ pick a quarrel with them out of impatience!"

Cagalli laughed, and put the argument behind her for a game of chess with her brother.

Only one thought remained. Everyone knew that the Heir needed the best squire that court could offer. Did Dearka really think that she was good enough to fill that position?

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"Shawn?" Athrun frowned. "He gets cocky easily, and then leaves a lot of openings."

"But when he's concentrating, he's good," Nicol insisted.

"That's when he's concentrating," Yzak pointed out. "So to get him to focus, don't tell _him_ that he's good."

The group of four squires were lying on counches in the the large library that occupied the fourth floor in the keep of Castle Zaft.

"And he's got no manners," Dearka said. "You should have been there, Athrun; he was acting like he's the only squire you would pick."

"I don't trust him," Athrun said simply.

"Well then, who _are_ you going pick?" Nicol asked. "You're used to being on your own too, aren't you?"

"I'm not going to follow you, so don't ask," Yzak said, tossing two books in his hands. "Sothe's not too bad, but he's as soft as Kira. He'll get himself into trouble with that."

"And you act like a big bully, but is actually a big softie yourself," Nicol muttered. Athrun chuckled. Seeing Yzak glance at him suspiciously, Athrun slid off the green couch he was leaning on and moved behind several bookshelves, going to the far end of the library.

He needed to think. Like he had told Kira, he really didn't know who to choose.

"I might even have to close my eyes, turn around three times and point," he muttered. Walking around another bookcase, he found a single fair head bent over a thick brown book. Curiously, Athrun moved up behind Cagalli to read over one shoulder.

_Originally part of nature itself, in the parts where weather changed. They were formed after many years, when an unnamed mage solidified the forces of weather. A wielder would be able to use it to control the weather and all other elements of natural geography with it. But they caused too much trouble because they were used at the wrong times; torrents of rain aided farmers and flooded others, and war between countries began to make use of the stormstones for destruction as well._

The mage who created the stormstones sealed them away, assigning guardians to them from his own assistants, instructing them to always look after the stormstones, and pass the duty to their descendants when their time is up. The Blizzard Stone, together with the Hurricane Stone, was stored in Zaft, one of the largest kingdoms. The Meteor Stone, along with the Earthquake Stone, was taken to Orb.

The seals that was placed on each stormstone would only last for a hundred years. While they slept, while the guardians looked after them, peace would reign, but a prophecy made senses the coming of catastrophes when the seals were lifted.  
  
Athrun heaved a sigh. Stunned, Cagalli slammed her book shut and spun around to stare at him.

"Idiot!" Cagalli hissed, bringing the heavy book down on Athrun's blue head with a smack. "Don't creep up on me like that!"

Wincing at the small bump forming on his head, Athrun grinned slightly.

"You're the first person to whack me on the head," he commented. "Even during sparring sessions, no blade has ever touched my head."

He took the book from Cagalli and traced his fingers over the gold lettering on the front. _'Stormstones'_. "How did you know about the stormstones?"

"I heard some mages talking about it," Cagalli admitted. "Kira knows, too, but King Patrick's not saying anything."

"No, he wouldn't. The seal's due to be broken any time in these few weeks. When that happens, weather _and_ warring storms will break over us."

"Why isn't everyone told, then?" Cagalli demanded. "If it's that serious, why is King Patrick keeping it a secret?"

"Father has his reasons," Athrun explained. His fingers clenched around the book he was holding. "If everyone knew about the impending danger the stormstones might bring, there would be chaos. People would be afraid."

"But that way no one's preparing for the danger! By the time the stormstones are released from their seals there would be no time to flee or ready ourselves!" Cagalli argued. "And it isn't good to keep people in the dark. They ought to learn about what's happening, rather than sit around like puppets that are ignorant of everything around!"

"That's the point! If no one knew about the stormstones, there would be lesser people aiming to use the stormstones' power themselves!" Athrun snapped, irritated at Cagalli's self-righteous tone. "Father knows what he's doing. He's working for the good of everyone, so you don't have to question his actions."

"Oh, indeed. You know, _Your Highness_, not everyone is a helpless subject who sits around waiting to be helped and looked after. We have hands and feet to do our own work, and protect ourselves." Turning, Cagalli stomped out of the library.

How could she have ever thought of being his squire? The court of Zaft was just the same as Orb's. Full of rules, commands, and rulers have the last say over everyone else.

Cagalli was tired of being ordered around.

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There was a much bigger crowd watching on the tenth day of White Moon, when the knight trials began. Altogether, there were eight squires that were declared ready for knighthood that year. Even before the event started, everything was planned and prepared. Four squires would be tested in one day; on the third, a dubbing ceremony would be held for those who passed, followed by a grand feast of celebration.

The knight trials were to take place in the large parade square before the castle keep, like the squire trials. A significant difference between the two was the presence of the Trial's Chamber. This was a small room created entirely out of magic by a Royal Mage, and was transported out to the parade square by ten mages every White Moon. A Something existed in there, and was the main judge of whether a squire was suitable for knighthood or not.

Most knights never spoke of the Chamber. Those who did speak of it mentioned different tales. One said a spirit lived in it. Another said the room was actually a maze of dangers. Some mentioned monsters. With different tales, squires were clueless about what they would face in the Chamber.

It had been snowing hard on the night before the first day of the knight trials, but morning brought a bright sun into the sky, announcing the beginning of an important event. A cream palomino stepped out into the snow, its hooves making deep imprints in the white snow.

Snorting at the cold and wet, it shied and tried to return to its stall in the stable. Though Cloud's Lining was considered one of the best horses in the stables, it was extremely temperamental, very stubborn, and used to getting its own way. It didn't like its current rider much either, and it could tell that _he_ didn't like it much himself. But Stefan, the stablemaster, had chosen the two to work together. _Behave,_ he had said sternly to the horse.

Right now the horse was determined to act like a mule and run back into his stall rather than venture out into the cold. Athrun tugged at its headcollar patiently, guiding him towards the open gate. Patience was a stronger value than obstinacy after all, and soon Athrun was in the parade square with his bad-tempered ride plodding beside him.

The stablemaster, Stefan, came from a peasant family, but was chosen for the job because of his skill with horses. He grinned at Athrun as the young prince approached.

"Not giving ya any trouble, is 'e?"

"I don't think he likes snow much," Athrun replied wryly. "All I can do is hope he won't throw me."

"Nay. 'E's a lousy tempered fella, but 'e's obedient, dat 'e is. Don't worry, highness, 'e'll be good," Stefan said, slapping the palomino on the head. "Ya hear that, old thang? Be good!"

Athrun could have sworn that the horse rolled its eyes.

"Ya go on and get ready, highness. I'll git him armoured up."

Nodding his thanks, Athrun headed off to get himself armoured up. He glanced at the people gathering to watch, and breathed deeply.

He had to make it through. Anything else would be unthinkable.

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Kira knotted the binds together tightly, then tucked them behind the plates they were attached to. He picked up the last piece of armour to be put on, the helmet, and untied the chin straps.

"I don't want to wear that," Athrun said crossly. He hated to wear armour, and preferred to wear light robes for easy movement, though metal was the best protection a knight could have. His current attire was not even the full armour that knights were supposed to wear; thin chest plates and back plates, gauntlets and boots were all he wore over his tunic and padding.

"All right," Kira said pleasantly. "Go ahead and let your skull crack."

Athrun threw a glove at him. "I mean it. I don't want to wear it. I can't see anything with it on."

"Athrun, it's for your safety. Just put it on," Kira said quietly. He placed the helmet on his friend's head and tied the chin straps firmly down. "Besides, your new squire would probably insist on you being fully armoured for every fight. You have to get used to it."

"Yes, I know. Father says if I can't decide, he will choose a squire for me," Athrun said glumly, irritatedly trying to adjust his helmet so that it wouldn't fall over his eyes and nose.

"You really can't trust anyone else around you for that position?"

"Actually, if you consider the 'squire will be near me all the time', I could also choose someone I wanted to keep an eye on," Athrun said wryly. "Rather than someone I can trust."

"So... you'd choose somebody you _can't_ trust?" What Athrun said made sense, but he was probably the first to think of it.

_No... he wasn't!_

That has to be why King Patrick picked him! Someone he couldn't trust... a prince from Orb...

So that he could keep an eye on him? But why? Orb and Zaft were alliances, weren't they?

War...

It can't be!

"Kira?"

Startled, Kira looked up. Athrun was staring at him, a curious look on his face.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. What were you saying?"

He couldn't tell Athrun. The prince trusted his father beyond words. Besides, he could be wrong. If the King wanted to pick people who were going against him, there were several others from other countries as well. Even from Orb, there was...

"I asked, who else do you think would be suitable?"

"Cagalli."

"What!"

Startled, Kira blinked. "Huh?"

"You think I should choose your hot headed brother?" Athrun asked, raising an eyebrow. Then again... maybe that wasn't such a bad choice. The boy was sharp, and learnt quickly. Even if he had a tendency to question the doings of the king... well, he was from another kingdom anyway. Maybe Athrun could show him that being loyal to King Patrick was the right choice.

"Er... what?" _Kira! This comes of not paying attention to the conversation at hand!  
_  
"You may be right," Athrun said. "Part of that comes from wanting me to look after Cagalli for you, right?"

"What? I don't..."

"BAB-BA-DOO-DAH-BA-DAH-BA-DAH-BA-DOO-DAHT!" It was a trumpet.

"My call." Athrun pushed his helmet straight and opened the door. "Wish me good luck!"

"Athrun..." Suddenly, talk of picking squire seemed redundant. If Athrun failed the trial, he wouldn't even get to pick one.

"Good luck."

The pair smiled at each other, and exited into the parade square, where the trial awaited.

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Well, that's about it for now. But I think most of you can predict what will happen next... right?

Review please!

Daidairo

1st September 2006


	3. The Heir, His Trial, and His Squire

**_Soar Through Storms_**

Physical storms crash around, emotional storms crash over... To soar through them, everyone has to be supported by their loved ones... But will they make it?

Note: I have tried to keep the characters IC, but please remember that a person will act differently under different circumstances. Kira in this fic hasn't been through deaths and war yet, so he tends to be brighter, as compared to Kira from the original GS. I have no intention of being stereotypical and putting Yzak as the evil guy either; he just 'acts' the evil guy, even in my opinion XD Sorry if I offended anyone with that.

A lack of reviews have dropped my inspiration level. Much as I hate to admit it, I love reviews, and the fact that there are so little makes me think that no one wants to read this fic, that this idea isn't good... So please, do me a big favour if you actually like this fic, and review after this!

Special thanks to all reviewers: beautiful.disaster-x, Ultimate Coordinator Berserker, cocoapuffaddict, youknowwho. Thank you for your support!

I've tried to keep Athrun IC, but he _might_ seem OOC in certain parts. Bear in mind that I have all the characters at a much younger stage and having gone through different circumstances as compared to the original anime, so it's natural that they will be slightly different. But by the middle to end of the story I hope to have them exactly like the anime does. After all, the characters grow up.

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Chapter 3: The Heir, His Trial, and His Squire

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The grey thrusting sword flew forward and steadied, its point grazing the neck of Sir Horkath.

"I yield," the knight said, dropping his own sword and raising both hands. With a smile, he moved away from the sword and bowed from the waist. "Well fought, Your Highness!"

Athrun lowered his sword, breathing hard. He inclined his head in a slight bow, as was the custom, then looked up and waited for the verdict.

"Swordsmanship: Pass."

Cheers rose from the large crowd around. The musicians played a fanfare of joy and celebration, and their drummers could be heard loudly even through the shouts of joy. Athrun spotted Dearka and Nicole waving, grinning their congratulations. Yzak stood beside them, with only a slight smile on his face and one thumb pointed up on his left hand. How very like them.

Other tasks had passed similarly for Athrun, and though he was by then tired from all the tasks, he knew that the most terrible one was yet to come.

"It is time for your last task," Sir Horkath announced in a loud, clear voice. The music faded. The crowd silenced.

The sun was radiating its last rays for the day. Three squires had been tested before Athrun; though all three did moderately well for most of the tasks they were set, all three had failed in the Trial's Chamber. The first had ran out, screaming hysterically. The second was thrown out by the chamber, unconscious. The last had exited, white faced and trembling from head to foot, and left court without a word of explanation.

"I'm ready," Athrun heard himself say. Truth be told, he wasn't sure if he was. He didn't fear the Chamber, yet he wasn't nonchalant. He wasn't sure what to expect from it, and he didn't know how he would face it. All he knew was, he had to pass. He could not fail; not here, not now.

Part of it was the responsiblity he held of being the prince. He could not fail the people who trusted him; he could not disgrace his father's name. But the other part had to do with what he had discovered in the late past.

Stormstones and the wars. It had been a peaceful period for many years, and the kingdoms had not seen war at all. Yet tales of battles had been carried down, from mother to child, from musician to song, from writer to book, from artist to sculpture. Athrun knew that war was a catastrophe, and he didn't want to watch trouble flood the world.

Doubtless, King Patrick was making plans to stop any war from erupting. Yet Athrun felt that he could not just sit around doing nothing; he would fight in Zaft's army. As a knight, he would be able to do so.

Sir Horkath nodded. His almond eyes held Athrun's gaze. "Squire, you have faced many trials and obstacles. The road of knighthood lies before you. But you have one last task to face. If you can finish it, you will step onto that road for eternity. Fail it, and you will be barred from that road for eternity."

He moved to a side and raised his gloved arm towards the Chamber. "Open the doors of the Trial's Chamber, and you will be judged. May the Gods be with you, my prince."

_What will the Chamber hold?_

What will I face?

What are my chances against what is inside?

Athrun walked towards the Chamber. His armour clanked around him, and the crowd's whispers resounded everywhere. But he was oblivious of everything as the Chamber loomed up before him, and his hand lifted slowly, reached for the door knob.

It was cold. Icy cold, and it radiated an air of wisdom as Athrun's fingers closed around it. Slowly, he turned the knob, and something clicked. Everything else around him disappeared; only the task matters. The door opened... he entered, and it closed behind him.

It was dark, yet it was light.

It was black, yet it was white.

It was truth in itself, yet it was filled with lies.

It was silent, yet it spoke.

It was the future, yet it was the past.

Visually, the room was black. It was as if it wasn't a room, nothing but darkness existed. Yet it could not have been darkness, for Athrun could still see himself and his grey armour, as if light were shining upon him. There were no monsters to slay, no spirits to scare him, no obstacles to fight.

**You would fight?**

Athrun jumped. The voice came out of nowhere. It sounded in his head, yet it seemed to echo around the place.

**Athrun Zala. Prince of Zaft. You would fight?**

"Yes. I will fight," Athrun replied. He steadied his voice as his heart beat fast. "I will become a knight, and I will fight."

**What will you fight?**

Stunned, Athrun blinked. What will he fight?

Who will he fight?

"People that I have to fight against," he said uncertainly. "People who are against my cause."

**Indeed. What are you fighting for?**

That one Athrun could answer. "Peace. The stormstones are due to be unsealed anytime soon, and I will fight to stop this world from turning into a warfield. I will fight to stop the war."

**What is war? What is peace? **The voice hardened. It grew increasingly louder, raking at Athrun's head. **How ironic. You want to _fight_ for _peace_? You are just contradicting yourself! You know not what war is, and you know not what peace is!**

It hurt. It felt as if a thousand swords were stabbing at Athrun's head with each word the voice spoke.

**You have not even seen war. What makes you so sure you want to stop it? How can you be sure that you will not become a tool of war, a bloodthirsty fighter, one who kills without mercy on the battlefield? All the sparring you do is child's play; you have not taken lives, you have not seen lives taken. You are a mere boy, one who knows nothing at all!**

The pain intensified, and Athrun fell to his knees. His bones were groaning, his joints ached. It seemed as if pressure was crushing him from all angles, and the voice boomed loudly, deafening him.

**If you fight on the battlefield, you will kill. No matter your cause, you will bring harm to those who oppose you. Is that what peace is? Will that bring peace? Will you fight on without mercy, taking the lives of people who-**

"I don't want war!"

The pain subsided slowly. Athrun struggled hard to rise to his feet. Sweat was dripping off him like raindrops after a storm, and his body felt weak from head to foot. Every muscle ached, and every joint creaked. His head still felt heavy and sore, but it was clear enough for him to think.

The voice was right.

Why had he never thought about it before?

So many years of training. So many things learnt. But page and squire training...

Why had they never touched on what mattered?

Peace...

War...

What were they?

It was true; he didn't know. He was still ignorant.

"I will learn."

**Learn?** The voice pressed harder.

"I will learn what war and peace are." Athrun breathed heavily. The pain had returned, and was trying to push him down again.

_I won't let it beat me! _He remained standing.

**Oh really, _squire_? Lie down. It is easier. Let things go. You won't be able to learn. You'll fail.**

"I will try," Athrun insisted. He took another deep breath. "I haven't been through war. I don't know what it's like. But I know that war will bring suffering. Even if I haven't seen it myself, others have, and suffered for it."

**...So...?**

"I'll stop the coming war. I know the stormstones will cause harm one way or another... and I'll stop it," Athrun's thoughts were gathering and becoming clearer as he spoke. He knew he meant every single word he spoke, and though the pain was still pressing him, there was a new energy in his body that was resisting it.****

Are you sure you can do it?

"Humans can never be sure of anything." His green eyes shone with the energy he felt as he looked up, standing against the pressure of the Chamber.

"But I will try."

The pressure was gone. There was silence. It seemed like everything had stopped.

**... You are interesting. **

The voice sounded amused. There was a light, laughing tone to it. It was as if the voice disbelieved him, as if it thought Athrun wasn't good enough.

_I'll make it. I have to. For the good of all._

"I'll show you I can do it. I'm not just boasting."

**Show me, then. **The voice had become serious. It boomed as loudly as before, and the pain returned. Then it crashed heavily onto Athrun, throwing pain into every inch of his body, bearing down heavily in his mind, pushing him to the ground.

Athrun cried out, and struggled against the invisible rocks holding him down. The more he struggled, the worse the pain got. The pain was bearable while he was on the ground, but as soon as he tried to rise swords and lances pierced him.

A small light shone above him, turning red slowly as the pain persisted.

**You will suffer. Will you lie down and give up? Or will you stand in spite of the pain... and reach towards the light?**

Athrun didn't think it was possible for the pain to increase, but it did as he struggled to his feet, searing across him like nothing before. But he stood up. Slowly, his hand reached out towards the ball of red light, trembling with exhaustion, and his fingers closed around it.

White light shone all around him, brightening until his eyes were blinded, and he could see nothing, feel nothing.

**Bring forth peace, Sir Knight, Prince Athrun.**

Then he was outside the Chamber, blinking. The sky had darkened with night, and everyone was watching him. Sir Horkath was watching him intently. 

Athrun raised his hand. His fingers were now closed over the red hilt of a sword.

Then a mage dressed from head to foot in white stepped forward.

"The Trial's Chamber has granted Squire Athrun, Prince Zaft, the gift of the blade Aegis."

_Aegis..._

Then Athrun collapsed in exhaustion, and he blacked out.

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It was a light blade for easy wielding. The grip was covered with leather dyed red, and a crescent-shaped pommel added to its weight. The guard was formed from curved metal that formed a basket hilt, twisting in intricate designs to protect the wielder's hand, while the blade itself was a pale gold that resembled white, yet was tinged with crimson. There was nothing else special about it, apart from the fact that it seemed to fit Athrun's hand perfectly.

The mages had said that the blade was called Aegis. Even when Athrun was unconscious, his grip on the sword had been so tight that no one could take it from him. When he awoke fifteen hours later, he examined Aegis with Kira beside him.

"The Chamber just gave it to you like that?"

"Uh huh. I don't understand it either. Unless it's supposed to aid me in what the Chamber wants me to do," Athrun said uncertainly.

"Stop the war...?" Kira had heard a simple relevation of what Athrun had undergone in the Chamber. Athrun had seemed reluctant at first to explain what was in it; when he did explain, it was only briefly, about a voice that tried to test him. Kira knew that Athrun had not been completely honest, but he did not probe.

"Yes." Athrun raised Aegis again, and stared at it as it caught the light from the windows. "Or maybe this could be a guide to tell me what I'm supposed to do."

"There are always so many unanswered questions, aren't there?" Kira said with a sigh, crossing his legs. He was sitting on Athrun's bed, with his boots on no less, but since the prince didn't mind, he didn't bother. "There's no use wondering, though. Let's just wait and see if anything happens. And if... the stormstones are really unsealed."

Both Cagalli and Athrun had explained more about the stormstones to him. Kira's own fears about King Patrick and King Eldorth were tugging at him, but he still kept silent. He wasn't used to telling, after all, and his suspicions could be wrong.

"You're right, I suppose." Athrun sheathed Aegis and leapt lightly off his wool covered bed. "Let's go to the parade square to watch the other squires. Maybe someone else will be deemed worthy of knighthood today."

Kira followed him out.

Later that day, two other squires were accepted by the Chamber. Trembling and pale, they were also led to rest in their rooms. Both were from the castle of Sir Jule, Yzak's father. Obviously, the strict knight had trained them well. With a small smile, Athrun thought that Yzak would probably pass his knight trials with excellent results the next year.

And Kira was likely to do the same. If Kira was still around, that is.

Somehow, Athrun couldn't shake from his mind the possibility that Kira might be fighting on Orb's side if a war came. One side held his friends and mentors. The other side held his friends and families. If Athrun was told to choose between them... he probably wouldn't know what to do. So what, then, would Kira do...?

Looking at his friend's gentle, pleasant face, Athrun could not imagine Kira ever making any terrible mistakes like that. All he must do is trust in his friend, and know that he will always do what is right.

What is right... for everyone...

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The silver sword tapped his shoulder lightly three times.

"In the name of the Gods in heaven, I hereby make thee a knight. Be ever true to the path of goodness, protect always your neighbour, honour always your king."

Over the years, Kira had seen many squires knighted by King Patrick. This time, he felt a certain sense of pride in his friend as Athrun bowed low before his father, newly dubbed a knight.

Applause broke out among the gathered nobles for the third time that night. The dubbing ceremony was held in the great hall, where dinner would be served directly after that. The hall had been decorated in red and gold for the event, and the nobles had all arrived dressed in finery befitting their stations. Chatter broke out among them as they discussed the new knights, before King Patrick raised his hand for silence.

"Let the celebrations begin!" he commanded. As usual, he called for respect, and had an air of majesty around him. The three new knights were led to the king's table to dine, in honour of their success. The others went to their designated places as the pages and squires began to serve.

Serving, of course, meant that Kira had a good chance of hearing what the nobles were talking about. Most of their topics were centered around Athrun and the sword that the Chamber gave him. After all, neither of the other two that had passed had received anything from the Chamber. It was extremely rare for such an occurance; already, there were certain ones who said that it was probably because Athrun was the prince.

Somehow, that sort of made Kira wonder what he would find if he entered the Trial's Chamber.

Finally, as his work was done, Kira took a plate of food that the cook had hurriedly dumped on him and went to the verandah outside the hall, sitting on a small ledge beside Cagalli. Other squires and pages had done the same, gathering out of sight on the balconies or corners of the floor.

"You look tired," Cagalli said, munching on a piece of chicken.

"Aren't you?" Kira said with a small smile. Running around for the trials had not exactly been energising, after all. "Everything will die down now, since Court Trials are over."

"That's true. So what would be the next big event?"

"Choosing of squires by the knights, I suppose," a third voice said.

Kira and Cagalli turned. Athrun smiled and sat down beside Cagalli, where the last empty space on the ledge was. Unlike the two squires in their red tunics, he was dressed in his own princely finery. Cagalli immediately noticed Aegis hanging from his belt, and eyed it intently. Kira stared at Athrun, who shrugged and grinned, then removed Aegis from its scabbard and handed it to Cagalli.

"Uh, thanks..." she said uncertainly, taking the blade. The next moment, she was examining it from every angle as if she had never seen a sword in her life.

"Have you decided who to pick yet?" Kira asked as Cagalli poked Aegis.

"Not really," Athrun sighed. "Father said to pick one before tomorrow night, and whoever he might pick would probably be from another castle. Imagine being served by someone I haven't even met. But I haven't really thought about it, since all I did was fiddle with Aegis..."

There was a small flash of light between them. Kira and Athrun blinked. Cagalli, in between them, was holding Aegis with both hands, and looking bewildered. Aegis was glowing red.

"Er... Oops?"

"Cagalli! What did you do?" Kira exclaimed, staring at the sword. Cagalli thrust it at him.

"I don't know! I didn't do anything! It wasn't like that when I first held it!" As soon as the sword left her hands, it stopped glowing. Kira handed Aegis to Athrun. There was no reaction whatsoever.

"Try again," Athrun said, passing the light blade to Cagalli again. Nervously, the squire took it, and it gleamed red.

"... Maybe Aegis likes me?" she offered lamely.

Athrun shook his head, deep in thought. Then he laughed.

Cagalli turned to Kira, giving him a look that said _'Is your friend nuts?'  
_  
"The sword likes you," Athrun repeated, then grinned. "You are interesting."

Cagalli gave him a look that Athrun could have sworn was similar to his own expression when the Chamber had said those words to him. Cagalli probably thought he was making fun of her.

"Athrun...?" Kira suddenly remembered what Athrun was saying two days ago, before his trial had started. "Are you thinking of...?"

"Would he disagree?" Athrun asked, grinning. "Like he said, Aegis seems to like him."

"Am I being discussed here?" Cagalli interrupted crossly. "At least tell me what's going on!"

Athrun laughed again, and Cagalli wanted to smack him. The fact that he was a prince stopped her. And the fact that he looked extremely nice when he was laughing...

Is she insane? What kind of weird thoughts were those?

_He's _insaneshe thought when Athrun took her right hand, which was still holding Aegis, in his. Neither of them were wearing gloves, and the contact sent a small jolt through Cagalli, much to her bewilderment.

"Squire Cagalli, I would be honoured if you would take me as your knightmaster," he said formally. Cagalli's jaw dropped at the sudden invitation.

"I refuse," she replied.

Athrun blinked.

Kira blinked.

Cagalli stared calmly back at both of them in turn.

"What?" Both said simultaneously.

"I don't want to be your squire. It'd be too tiring to run around you all the time," Cagalli said peevishly.

Kira and Athrun blinked again.

Oblivious to the happenings, the chatter around them continued, and the musicians continued playing.

The trio was silent for a while.

Then both Kira and Athrun laughed. It was rare to see Kira so spirited, as he was usually quiet, and Athrun supposed part of his amusement was from seeing how Cagalli could affect Kira. Still, most of his chuckles came from what Cagalli was saying.

"This... must be the first time in history... that a squire downright _refuses_ going under a knightmaster!" Athrun said between guffaws.

"Cagalli, that wasn't a question. You're not supposed to be allowed to say no," Kira explained, his eyes shining with merriment. "That's why it's the knights that pick the squires, not the squires that pick the knights."

"Kira, your brother's really interesting," Athrun said, grinning. He looked down at his hand, which was still holding Cagalli's, which was still holding Aegis. "And since Aegis likes you... well... I mean it."

"Eh?"

"I want you to be my squire," Athrun said. "There's no one else I can think of, after all. I'll try not to make you run around me so much, all right?"

"Do I even have a choice?" Cagalli grumbled. Sitting up straight, she replied in a formal tone. "I would be honoured to be your squire, Sir Knight."

Kira and Athrun burst into laughter again, and each ruffled her hair affectionately with a hand.

After so many dark happenings, it felt so good to laugh.

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A relatively short chapter compared to the others, I think...

So... if you found that OOC, it's only for a while. Please forgive any terrible mistakes on that, and tell me in a review if you think I should improve on that!

Review please!

Daidairo

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